ソラノイロ食堂
Soranoiro, the shop famous for their vegan fare, just went polar opposite.
All pork.
This new shop in Ikebukuro has a shokudo concept. Shokudo (食堂) are casual restaurants in Japan. Rice bowls, curry, and tonkatsu are all regular fare at your local shokudo. A local diner. A greasy spoon. If Japan had ever adopted rootbeer floats, you'd find them here.
Many shokudo have a cheap bowl of ramen on the menu. Soranoiro highlights theirs; it's a 100% pork soup. Unlike creamy tonkotsu ramen, the bowl here is clear and light, though the seabura backfat topping brings it well into intense pig territories.
Very no-frills. A couple pieces of chashu pork and a sprinkling of negi green onion.
It's down a back alley, so make sure you check your directions. Ikebukuro isn't a part of town you want to get lost in. The whole area has a very shady vibe. Recently, though, it has become a hotbed for cheap hotels and drug stores popular with overseas tourists, which has pushed out the rougher elements. Regardless, take care.
Official site here.
